Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘family’

It’s Never Too Late

If you could make your family and friends understand one thing, what would it be?

The prompt asked about making a pet understand. Well, we don’t have a pet right now. So, I substituted “family and friends.”

I want you all to know, “It’s never too late.”

“Too late for what?” you ask.

Well, you fill in the blank!

As a life-long Christian, I have often heard the pastor say, “Remember your baptism” on various occasions. I can’t. Or I should say, “I couldn’t!”

Not until yesterday!

My mom & sister often told me,”Yes,” when I asked, “Was I baptized?” But there are no pictures. (Mom was an avid picture taker all the time!) And there is no certificate or other written record. I find that strange.

I tried to contact the little white Methodist/Presbyterian church in California’s Central Valley where it supposedly happened, but it burned to the ground years ago … and all records with it.

So, I decided to”It’s never too late. I want to have a baptism I can remember!” At 84, you think you wanna be dunked? You bet … by my son (who recently was ordained as a minister at his church here in CA, where we are visiting this week before we head home from our month’s reprieve from Montana’s ccccold Arctic blast).

Did it take courage and commitment? Was it a hard decision? You bet! But was it important for my spiritual health!? Definitely. I wanted to be able to “remember my baptism” – feel the obedience to the Christian command, “Go, and be baptized!”

It’s never too late!

Do you remember your baptism?

It’s never too late!

Love, JanBeek

My son, Ty, with me and 2 of my great-grandchildren- See my wet head? Yup, I remember being dunked!!

Good Leaders

Today’s prompt on JetPack/WordPress is: What makes a good leader?

Our son, Ty

Our son, Ty, is a good leader. He is:

  • Compassionate
  • Bright
  • A good listener
  • Christ-like
  • Willing to work with you
  • Fun to be around
  • Conscientious
  • Thoughtful
  • Sincere
  • Articulate
  • Gregarious
Loving & tender-hearted

Aren’t we blessed!? To have a son with these leadership attributes is definitely a gift from God! Do you know a leader who exhibits those qualities?

Sending love your way …

Thanks for visiting JanBeek ❤️

My Mission

Today’s WordPress Prompt was:
“What is your mission?”

My mission is to spread God’s love, live in faith, and “bee” an inspiration for others to do likewise!

How about you? What is your mission? You know we each are put in this world for a purpose. Do you know yours? How are you fulfilling it?

Meet with old friends! Today we reconnected with my high school buddy, Monica, and the wife of my senior class sweetheart. Carolyn is fulfilling one of her missions: taking care of Jerry !!
God bless Carolyn & Jerry! Such fun to reconnect with them. Jerry and I had a year of wonderful fun together in 1956-57!!

And Bob reconnected with Monica … with whom he attended Sunday School every week during his childhood. So precious!!

No friends like old friends!!

Our mission is to spread love and joy wherever we go. What a wonderful way to begin this new year of 2024! Our travels in California have been blessed with great weather, family, friends, and Bob’s 85th birthday celebration along the Pacific coast. Such fun!!

Alan & Ingrid with Bob at Monterey Aquarium.

Alan & Ingrid with us at Big Sur.

Then precious time with my brilliant cousin, Adrian, and his wife, Laura.

Life doesn’t get too much better than this!

God bless my birthday boy!
My main mission besides spreading God’s love: take care of this BeeBoy! I’m so blessed to have him in my life all these 65 years!! I pray we have many more.

God bless you!

Have a wonderful week.

Love, JanBeek ❤️

Beginning ‘24 in CA

While it snows in Montana, we bask in gorgeous CA sunshine with family & friends!Just right temps!

It’s a great way to welcome the new year!

God is good! Life is wonderful! After celebrating Bob’s 85th birthday with his two brothers and their wives, we are now with dear friends here in Pebble Beach for a few days.

Last week this part of the 17 Mile Drive in Carmel/Monterey was closed due to high tides. Open now, we are soaking up the beauty!

Yesterday we went wine tasting in Carmel with Alan & Ingrid. Such fun!

Today we’re headed for the Monterey Aquarium. Stay tuned! I’ll be back!

How has your 2024 begun?

Did you go to church to begin the year? Have you thanked God for your new day!? Please do!

Cherish family!

Shine the light of love and spread the gift of peace wherever you go! God bless you!

Love ❤️ JanBeek

Highlights of 2023

1) Time with family & friends is so precious! That time heads the highlights. I hope you had quality time with your loved ones last year, too

Bob’s the middle brother – time with brothers Bruce & Bill can’t be beat!

We love visiting family – like my cousin, Adrian & his dear wife, Laura.

When friends/colleagues from the past take time to share with us, we feel so blessed. This is sweet Suzette Stavrianoudakis who taught with me back in the 80’s-90’s.

The opportunity to go to worship with our son,Ty, his wife Monika, her parents, and our granddaughter & her hubby & Mable, one of our 3 our great-granddaughters, was a very special highlight. Ty& Moni visited us in Montana, and we are enjoying the beginning of 2024 with them.

I loved visiting with my college roomie, Sue Booth, who also was a bridesmaid in our 1962 wedding!

Nothing beats the highlight of seeing your 85 year old birthday boy holding his one-day old great- grandson.

But very close to that best highlight is the privilege of praying for 5-yr. old Eli as he experienced brain surgery and had an amazing recovery. Our last picture of him showed a happy 6-year old smiling as he sat on his surgeon’s lap. Praise God! Answered prayers (too numerous to mention) always are highlights!

It’s hard to beat visits from people like Peter Martin (and Victor Salazar) former 1970’s wrestling students of Bob’s. They came from states away to spend time with their old coach. What a treat!!

When our daughter, De, & her hubby showed up from Switzerland surprising us with our 1980-81 AFS son, Christian Zufferey, and his wife, Célia, the surprise was the greatest one imaginable!

A week before that our oldest Swiss grandson, Mike & his wife, Tania, came with friends for a week. Like I said, time with family & friends we’re our greatest highlights.

Mike’s younger brother, Nick, visited with his sweetheart, Céline, also. Goodness, how blessed can you get, huh?

We love having time with friends and family. When will you come to Ennis, MT to visit us?

July is a great time to be in Ennis. Put it on your list, ok? Make it a highlight of your 2024!

What were your 2023 highlights?

Hugs from

JANBEEK ❤️🤗

Just for Fun

Today’s prompt was, “What was the last thing you did for play or fun?”

The last thing I did for fun was to hold my newest great-grandchild, Christian Beekman (born yesterday) and revel in his tiny hand holding my finger. Life doesn’t get more fun – more special – more blessed than this!!

What joy to welcome this little boy into our Beekman family!

Here’s our son (Grandpa Ty) and our daughter-in-law (Grandma Monika) with their newest grandchild. They have six now!! that makes six great-grandchildren for us. Can you believe it??

Doesn’t that look like fun to you?

Here are Christian’s mom & dad (our grandson, Jordan with his wife, Josniah). God bless them! And God bless Christian’s big sister, Cosette. She’s gonna love having a baby brother … and has to learn he’s not a dolly she can toss around!!

What have you done for fun this week?

Sending love your way. Merry Christmas!

Hugs, JanBeek

Recommended Books

Today’s prompt was:
What book are you reading right now?

Haha!! No, I’m not isolated…
And no, I didn’t color three books…
Only two!!

person coloring art with crayons
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

No, seriously,
The question should have been “What bookS…”
I can never limit myself to just one at a time!
I love reading!

So, what bookS am I currently reading?
Let me list a few:

  1. The Bible (always … daily)
  2. Devotionals that help me understand better and apply the Bible lessons to my life:
    a. In Touch by Charles Stanley
    b. Ever Faithful by David Jeremiah
    c. Mornings with Jesus and Walking in Grace and Strength & Grace by Guideposts
    d. Today in the Word by Moody Bible Institute
    e. These Days by Presbyterian Publishing Corp.
  3. The Last Caretaker: A Novel by Jessica Strawser

I have Jessica Strawser’s book on my Kindle reader. I prefer having a paperback or better yet, the hardcover book, but Kindle books are so affordable – – – and I can enlarge the print to make deciphering easier. So I am getting used to reading from my laptop. The Last CareTaker is a gripping story about a lady who agrees to be the caretaker at a remote nature preserve, but finds herself in the throes of a secretive shelter for battered, abused, and at-risk women. I’m enjoying it.

How about you? What bookS are you reading right now?

Bye for now…
I’m off to read some more.

(Oh, and by the way,
Happy Birthday to my mom.
11-15-15
Elizabeth (Betty)Totten DeAngeles
She would have been 108 today!)

Here we are when I was about 2 or 3.
Quite the hairdo, huh?
Sweet!

Love,
JanBeek

Valued Trait

Today’s prompt on WordPress was:
What’s the trait you value most about yourself?

Each of us is given special gifts.
The trick is to recognize yours.
When you find it, then
make it your favorite trait.

And use it to the fullest!

This scripture is one of my favorites…
and it reveals a trait I cherish:

Hebrews 13:2

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by this some have entertained angels
without knowing it.”

My special gift is hospitality.
I love having family and friends
come to spend time with us.
Here is our dear 1980-81 AFS son,
Christian Zufferey (ZuZu), from Switzerland.
No, he’s no stranger to us!!

(Our DeAna married his first cousin!!
What a love story that is!)

This week DeAna, and her hubby, Andre’
surprised us by arriving with ZuZu
and his wife, Celia, for a four day stay.
Here they are this morning… leaving us (boo-hoo!)

But, we were blessed to have them
come and spend those days
(just not nearly long enough) –
and to have Chef Andre’ prepare great meals!

How wonderful it was also
to have our grandson, Mike,
and his wife, Tania, with us for a week
this month. They were so helpful!!

Now this hospitality business
would have a full opportunity
to be put into practice IF our son
Ty & his wife, Monika, would come!

The good news is that Peter,
one of Bob’s wrestling students
from back in the 1970’s in CA,
will be joining us in October for awhile.
Yay!

Why don’t you consider
Letting me use my favorite trait,
HOSPITALITY,
On you one of these days?

What’s your special gift – your favorite trait?

Love to you,
JanBeek

We Need More Empathy

Sympathy = “I feel FOR you.”
Empathy = “I feel AS you.”

Ah, we need more empathy!
We need more people who are willing
to put themselves in another person’s shoes…

Not just feel sorry for the one who suffers, but feel his/her suffering
– and try to do something to alleviate it.
I discovered a new blogger today (new to me) – “Ly-die” –
who wrote an eloquent post on this topic.
I really appreciated it, and I think you will, too.

Click below:

Have a terrific Thursday! Our daughter, DeAna, and son-in-law, Andre’ are with us this week. They surprised us by bringing along with them our 1980-81 AFS Exchange student (Christian Zufferey) and his wife, Celia. Chris (ZuZu) is Andre’s cousin… and he has not been to the USA in over 30 years! You can imagine our pure JOY at seeing him and his dear spouse at our door!

Yesterday we toured Ennis and stopped at “The Long Branch” for a few libations.
That’s De & Andre’ on the left and ZuZu with Celia on the right.
I’m the happy camper in the middle!

Bob stayed home and then joined us later when we a went to our neighbors’ place (the Ducsays) for “TMW” – (what’s that – you ask?) – Hah – “Too much wine!” The picture doesn’t show our joy! We were having a grand time!

Today our Swiss guests are spending time in Yellowstone Park.
It’s a beautiful blue sky day here.
What are you up to??

Enjoy your Thursday…
I send my love and empathy your way.


Hugs,
JanBeek

Life is Wonderful!

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Check out today’s wonder on my Facebook post!